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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. march — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tear — to rip
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tear — from crying
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ball — a great time
  24. trunk — of a tree

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