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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. present — a gift
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. chest — of your body
  13. present — the time now
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — to tire
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. suit — clothes
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — there

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