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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — a song
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mine — for digging
  8. drill — army training
  9. bore — to tire
  10. present — there
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bore — to drill
  13. suit — clothes
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — to fit
  16. drill — a practice
  17. present — a gift
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. track — to keep track
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. present — the time now
  22. drill — the tool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mine — belonging to me

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