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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. drill — a practice
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. drill — army training
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. drill — the tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fine — a penalty

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