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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bore — to drill
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cue — for pool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bat — the animal
  12. press — to push
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bore — to tire
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lean — thin
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bat — in an idiom

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