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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. present — the time now
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bore — to drill
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bore — to tire
  24. sharp — with an edge

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