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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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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: foot · tear · jam · mate · rest · bore · bowl · bear

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mate — a friend
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mate — a partner
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rest — a break
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bear — the animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bore — to tire
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bowl — to roll

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