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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. capital — money
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — in football
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — certain
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lie — to recline
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bear — the animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — to tire
  20. capital — a city
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bound — tied together

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