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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to tire
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mate — a friend
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — there
  13. rash — a series
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bound — certain
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rash — hasty
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — to drill

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