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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. file — a tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bore — to drill
  8. band — a music group
  9. craft — boats
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. band — a ring
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pop — soda
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pop — music
  17. file — a document
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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