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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. charge — in control
  4. pop — soda
  5. present — a gift
  6. bore — to tire
  7. charge — a price
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pop — music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. present — the time now
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bore — gave birth

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