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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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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: snap · wound · spring · deal · bear · stand · bore · wave

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. snap — to click
  9. stand — to bear
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. spring — the season
  20. deal — to handle
  21. spring — of water
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wound — an injury
  24. deal — an agreement

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