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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mug — a cup
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mug — a face
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — to sink
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. perch — the fish
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tube — a container
  20. mug — to rob
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. present — there
  24. game — a match

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