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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 124 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. court — of law
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bore — to tire
  5. present — the time now
  6. court — for sport
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — thin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — high quality
  19. track — a song
  20. court — of a king
  21. fine — all right
  22. present — there
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wave — with your hand

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