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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kid — child
  14. band — a ring
  15. row — a line
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — to paddle
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. band — a music group
  21. mark — a grade
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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