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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. press — to push
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bore — to drill
  11. current — electric
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tube — the underground
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — to play on
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. swing — in golf

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