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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. last — finally
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. object — an aim
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. last — to go on
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bark — to shout
  17. object — a thing
  18. lean — thin
  19. object — to protest
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fine — all right
  22. last — final
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lean — to bend

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