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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — a law
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rule — government
  6. present — a gift
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wind — moving air
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. present — the time now
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. march — music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. dip — to sink
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. march — the month
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bore — gave birth

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