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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — music
  5. charge — a price
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bear — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. pop — soda
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — electricity
  14. present — the time now
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cold — an illness
  18. drill — army training
  19. bore — to drill
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. present — there
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pop — to visit

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