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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fine — all right
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. present — there
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mate — a friend
  12. present — the time now
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mate — a partner
  19. spring — of water
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. present — a gift
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spring — the season

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