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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. board — to get on
  4. shower — rain
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. scale — size or range
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. deal — to handle
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bore — to tire
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. board — a committee
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. scale — in music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bore — to drill
  24. board — a flat piece

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