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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rash — a series
  3. present — there
  4. bore — to drill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. present — the time now
  8. rash — hasty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bore — to tire
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — hurry
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rush — a thrill

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