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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. present — there
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — to come down
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fall — the season
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. land — ground
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. key — for a lock
  15. land — a country
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. hand — in cards
  18. present — the time now
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. hand — help
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pit — a hole

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