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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · shower · arm · bore · racket · pit · jam · lie

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lie — to recline
  6. shower — rain
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. present — the time now
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — a gift
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bore — to tire
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. shower — to wash
  24. arm — part of the body

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