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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 116 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: fall · pop · rest · bear · mine · bore · hand · racket

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rest — what's left
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bore — to drill
  7. hand — help
  8. pop — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pop — soda
  20. fall — the season
  21. hand — in cards
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pop — to visit

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