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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bore — to drill
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bore — to tire
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pop — soda
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. board — a committee
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. press — to push
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. kid — child
  20. board — to get on
  21. press — newspapers
  22. season — of the year
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. season — in sport

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