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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: last · bore · bear · fine · saw · row · pop · key

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. last — finally
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fine — all right
  7. last — to go on
  8. key — in music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pop — music
  12. last — final
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bore — to drill
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pop — soda
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bear — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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