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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. saw — the tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rock — a stone
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. drill — army training
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kid — child
  24. drill — the tool

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