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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: band · march · bear · firm · mug · wake · bore · mine

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — steady
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mug — a face
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. band — a music group
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. firm — decided
  15. march — music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. firm — a company
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bear — the animal
  23. band — a ring
  24. mug — to rob

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