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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spring — of water
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. present — the time now
  7. rest — a break
  8. sharp — clever
  9. spring — the season
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. present — there
  12. bore — to tire
  13. spring — a coil
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bank — of a river
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. present — a gift

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