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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — part of the head
  4. club — a group
  5. pit — in a race
  6. face — to point toward
  7. press — to push
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. face — to confront
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. press — a publisher
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pit — a hole
  17. press — newspapers
  18. dip — a sauce

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