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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. present — the time now
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spell — letters
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kick — in football
  23. spell — magic
  24. kick — with a leg

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