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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ground — the earth
  3. present — a gift
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ground — a position
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bound — tied together
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bound — certain
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ground — crushed
  19. present — the time now
  20. fine — all right
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ball — a round shape

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