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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. present — the time now
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stock — goods
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — shares
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mine — for digging
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to drill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. present — there
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bore — to tire
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — a gift

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