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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. season — of the year
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. present — there
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. present — a gift
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — in sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. present — the time now
  15. wound — an injury
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. staff — employees
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wound — an injury
  22. game — a match
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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