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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.

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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: bore · rock · bear · can · wake · bound · dip · field

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — farmland
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. field — a subject
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rock — a stone
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — certain
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bore — to drill
  22. field — for sport
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bound — obliged

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