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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fine — high quality
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — thin
  5. march — the month
  6. bore — to drill
  7. scale — in music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bore — to tire
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fall — to drop
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fall — the season
  19. march — music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fine — all right
  23. lean — to rest against
  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