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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fine — high quality
  3. tear — to rip
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. tear — from crying
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. row — a line
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fine — all right
  24. content — happy

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