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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fine — all right
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chest — of your body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fine — high quality
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bore — to drill
  14. press — to push
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. chest — a box
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bass — low music

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