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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pop — music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lean — thin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pop — soda
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bear — to put up with

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