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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. present — the time now
  15. last — final
  16. chest — a box
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. last — to go on
  19. rock — a stone
  20. last — finally
  21. rock — music
  22. present — a gift
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — to move gently

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