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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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Word bank
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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: hand · jam · clip · lean · rush · mate · present · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. present — there
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. present — a gift
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hand — help
  13. present — the time now
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — to bend
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lean — thin
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rush — hurry
  24. hand — 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