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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. suit — in cards
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cold — an illness
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — help
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bear — the animal
  24. saw — 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