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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. present — a gift
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. clip — to cut
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. present — there
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. clip — a video
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bore — to tire
  18. present — the time now
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. craft — boats
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — for paper

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