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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mark — a grade
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — a gift
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. present — the time now
  12. game — a match
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mark — a trace
  16. present — there
  17. toast — bread
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bore — to drill
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bore — to tire
  24. staff — employees

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