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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. bore — to tire
  9. land — a country
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. ground — a position
  14. land — ground
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. present — the time now
  24. mouse — the animal

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