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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. firm — decided
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — there
  6. drill — the tool
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. firm — steady
  12. pit — a hole
  13. drill — army training
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. firm — a company
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pit — in a race
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. present — a gift
  21. tear — from crying
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. leaves — to go away

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