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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lean — thin
  4. hand — help
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hand — in cards
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rule — government
  13. lean — to bend
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rock — a stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rock — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rule — a law
  24. mouse — the animal

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