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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 120 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cap — a hat
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. capital — a city
  9. bulb — for light
  10. present — the time now
  11. mate — a friend
  12. present — a gift
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bore — to drill
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. capital — money
  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