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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rash — hasty
  4. present — there
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — to tire
  8. present — a gift
  9. bore — to drill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. last — finally
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. last — to go on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rash — a series
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. last — final
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — the time now
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. coach — a trainer

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