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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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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: straw · bank · pitcher · bore · lie · bear · fork · content

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — happy
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — of a river
  11. content — the amount
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  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