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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. present — the time now
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rash — a series
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bore — to drill
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. suit — in cards
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bore — to tire
  17. suit — to fit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. present — a gift
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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