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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. march — the month
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mate — a friend
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bore — to tire
  14. march — the month
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. march — music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mate — to breed

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