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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: bear · rest · march · stick · land · bore · saw · content

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — a country
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — the month
  12. content — happy
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — ground
  16. bore — to drill
  17. content — the amount
  18. land — to come down
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — a break

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