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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. object — to protest
  7. chest — of your body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. object — a thing
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. stock — shares
  16. bore — to drill
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chest — a box
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mate — a partner

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