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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bore — to drill
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. present — there
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. shower — rain
  13. bore — to tire
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. present — the time now
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rule — a law
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — government

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