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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — after costs
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bore — to drill
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — boats
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. craft — a skill
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. charge — in control
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bore — to tire

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