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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bear — the animal
  3. firm — steady
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. shower — to wash
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — the month
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. firm — a company
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. bass — the fish
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. shower — rain
  20. firm — decided
  21. bass — low music
  22. bore — to drill
  23. present — there
  24. march — music

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