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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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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: foot · mouse · bear · bore · land · cold · stick · row

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. row — a line
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — a country
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. land — ground
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bear — to put up with

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