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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. court — of law
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fall — the season
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. court — for sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fall — to drop
  21. court — of a king
  22. press — to push
  23. hand — help
  24. pitch — completely

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