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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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468
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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — the time now
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. present — a gift
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. kick — in football
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. present — there
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cell — in biology
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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