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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — a partner
  3. present — there
  4. bore — to drill
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mate — a friend
  12. present — a gift
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. present — the time now
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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