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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: rule · bear · straw · bore · jam · rock · spring · field

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. spring — of water
  7. field — for sport
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — music
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rule — a law
  18. field — a subject
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bore — to drill
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rule — government

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