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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. present — the time now
  6. fine — high quality
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. present — there
  10. mine — for digging
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fine — all right
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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