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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — to drill
  7. present — the time now
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. bore — to tire
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. present — a gift
  13. cap — a hat
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — in a road
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fork — to eat with

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