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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · bear · ruler · mine · chair · bore · hand · march

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. march — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mine — for digging
  22. march — the month
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chair — a leader

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