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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — in music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. court — of law
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mate — a friend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. band — a music group

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