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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bore — to tire
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rule — government
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mate — a partner
  12. present — there
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rule — a law
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. row — to paddle
  18. present — the time now
  19. row — a line
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mate — a friend

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