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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. season — of the year
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — there
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. present — a gift
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spring — a coil
  14. race — humankind
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. season — in sport
  21. bound — certain
  22. race — the arms race
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. race — a contest

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