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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. present — a gift
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. present — the time now
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bear — the animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. saw — the tool
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. present — there
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bear — to put up with

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