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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 124 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pop — soda
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cue — for pool
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — for betting

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