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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mug — a cup
  5. root — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mug — a face
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. present — a gift
  17. root — of a word
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. present — the time now
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mug — to rob

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