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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bore — to drill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. hand — help
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com