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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bore — to tire
  5. present — the time now
  6. pit — a hole
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bore — to drill
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — a gift
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lean — thin
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lean — to rest against

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