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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 124 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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bore — to drill
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fall — the season
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chest — a box
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — to put up with

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