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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. staff — employees
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. present — the time now
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ground — a position
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bore — to drill
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ground — the earth
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. present — there
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. leaves — to go away

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