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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. present — there
  7. bulb — for light
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fork — in a road
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bat — the animal
  24. dip — to dunk

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