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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pop — music
  5. land — a country
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. stand — to bear
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pop — to visit
  14. press — to push
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. land — ground
  18. pop — soda

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