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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mate — a partner
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. hand — in cards
  19. march — the month
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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