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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. race — a contest
  6. current — happening now
  7. race — humankind
  8. present — there
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. current — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. race — the arms race
  19. current — electric
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — a gift
  23. spring — the season
  24. bore — to tire

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