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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 116 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: key · bay · lie · track · tear · bear · march · bore

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. key — in music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. track — a path
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bore — to drill
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tear — from crying
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tear — to rip

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