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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: safe · bore · bear · season · hide · game · ground · wake

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — crushed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — a position
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. bore — to drill
  20. season — of the year
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. hide — to keep secret

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