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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bore — to tire
  9. present — there
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. last — to go on
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. last — final
  15. fine — all right
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. last — finally
  18. present — a gift
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. present — the time now
  24. stand — on your feet

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