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

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — there
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fall — the season
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bore — to tire
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bore — gave birth

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