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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · bound · bear · kid · can · shower · bat · bore

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pound — a weight
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. can — to be able to
  18. kid — child
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. shower — rain
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. shower — to wash

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