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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ball — a dance
  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