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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. present — a gift
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spell — magic
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spell — letters
  13. present — there
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cell — in biology
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. present — the time now
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fine — all right
  24. tear — to rip

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