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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rush — hurry
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. present — the time now
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. present — there
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fork — in a road
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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