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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — there
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bore — to tire
  7. press — a publisher
  8. current — happening now
  9. rush — hurry
  10. perch — the fish
  11. current — of water
  12. press — newspapers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. current — electric
  15. present — the time now
  16. wound — an injury
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  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