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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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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: object · chair · rock · band · present · bore · mug · hand

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. present — there
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mug — a cup
  6. hand — in cards
  7. object — a thing
  8. chair — a leader
  9. band — a music group
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rock — a stone
  12. object — to protest
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — help
  15. band — a ring
  16. present — a gift
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. present — the time now
  23. rock — music
  24. object — an aim

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