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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. present — there
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. present — the time now
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lie — to recline
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. present — a gift
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mine — an explosive
  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