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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mate — a partner
  4. present — the time now
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — there
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bore — to drill
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. present — a gift
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mate — a friend
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. safe — out of danger

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