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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bore — to tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wound — an injury

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