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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. bore — to tire
  5. present — there
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. land — ground
  9. present — the time now
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bore — to drill
  13. tear — from crying
  14. face — part of the head
  15. tear — from crying
  16. face — to point toward
  17. land — to come down
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. land — a country
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stand — to bear

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