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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. clip — a video
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — the time now
  12. fall — the season
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. clip — for paper
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. clip — to cut
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. deal — to handle

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