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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — thin
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a trace
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. court — of law
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. court — for sport
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lean — to bend
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. mark — a grade

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