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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. shower — rain
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. staff — employees
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — to paddle
  13. shower — to wash
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. staff — a stick
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bore — to drill
  24. staff — employees

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