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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hand — in cards
  19. track — a path
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — a song
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. hand — help

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