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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. drill — a practice
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. drill — army training
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bore — to tire
  11. shower — rain
  12. object — to protest
  13. present — a gift
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cell — a phone
  17. drill — the tool
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cell — in biology
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. bore — to drill

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