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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lean — thin
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lean — to bend
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — certain
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — help
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — tied together
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bore — to drill

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