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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — hasty
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. present — there
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. present — a gift
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rash — a series
  22. pass — a permit
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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