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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chest — of your body
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — a committee
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bore — to tire
  10. suit — clothes
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chest — a box
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. suit — to fit
  18. shower — to wash
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chest — of your body
  22. board — to get on
  23. shower — rain
  24. suit — in cards

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