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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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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  3. last — finally
  4. present — the time now
  5. last — final
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. present — a gift
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. last — to go on
  17. bore — gave birth
  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