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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 120 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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lean — thin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bear — the animal
  8. drill — army training
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a ring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — a trail
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bank — for money
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. drill — a practice
  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