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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.

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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: bulb · bear · mate · bay · race · hand · bore · ruler

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — a contest
  11. hand — in cards
  12. race — humankind
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bear — the animal

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