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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 · bank · bear · cue · season · last · kid · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bore — to tire
  3. last — finally
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bore — to drill
  6. last — to go on
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kid — to tease
  13. season — of the year
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — child
  20. bank — for money
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. season — in sport
  23. last — final
  24. cue — for pool

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