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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to bend
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fall — the season
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — to tire
  16. march — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. march — the month
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. track — a path
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — to drill

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