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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. press — to push
  6. field — a subject
  7. hand — in cards
  8. band — a ring
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. press — newspapers
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. land — to come down
  15. hand — help
  16. press — a publisher
  17. field — for sport
  18. band — a music group
  19. bore — to tire
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. field — farmland
  24. deal — a big deal

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