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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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468
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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. present — a gift
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ball — a great time
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wind — moving air
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. present — the time now
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — employees
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. dip — to sink

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