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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — a gift
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cap — of ice
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bore — to tire
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. shower — rain
  9. present — the time now
  10. swing — to play on
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. present — there
  18. cap — a hat
  19. staff — a stick
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. swing — music
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. staff — employees

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