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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rest — what's left
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. present — the time now
  7. bore — to tire
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rest — a break
  10. bore — to drill
  11. board — a committee
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. board — to get on
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. present — there
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. clip — to cut
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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