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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mug — a face
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — in sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lean — thin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. suit — in cards
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. season — of the year
  24. bark — to shout

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