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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: bore · shower · temple · content · march · bear · board · cue

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. march — the month
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. content — the amount
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. content — happy
  11. board — to get on
  12. shower — to wash
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cue — for pool
  16. board — a committee
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bore — to tire
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cue — a signal
  21. shower — rain
  22. bear — the animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cue — a hint

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