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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — part of the head
  3. craft — boats
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. present — there
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. capital — money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. face — to confront
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. track — to keep track
  21. capital — a city
  22. track — a song
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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