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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: net · bat · bore · plane · bear · bay · bound · content

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. net — for catching
  3. bound — certain
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bear — the animal
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bound — obliged
  19. content — the amount
  20. net — in sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. net — after costs

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