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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cap — of ice
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. press — to push
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chip — to eat

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