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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: bear · object · bore · wake · hand · last · pitcher · safe

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. hand — in cards
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. object — to protest
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hand — help

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