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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. fall — the season
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — there
  7. roll — a list
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — the time now
  14. track — to keep track
  15. tear — to rip
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. track — a song
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. craft — boats
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. present — a gift
  23. track — a path
  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