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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · bore · rule · fan · bay · wake · cell · rash

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rash — a series
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rule — a law
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wake — a trail

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