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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. press — newspapers
  3. season — of the year
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. season — in sport
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. firm — steady
  8. craft — boats
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. present — a gift
  14. craft — a skill
  15. present — there
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. firm — a company
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. press — to push
  22. bore — to drill
  23. firm — decided
  24. present — the time now

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