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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. charge — in control
  10. land — a country
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — a lid
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. land — to come down
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. press — to push
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. charge — a price
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — ground
  24. cap — a hat

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