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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. current — happening now
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spring — a coil
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. press — a publisher
  16. land — to come down
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. land — a country
  19. current — electric
  20. press — to push
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. land — ground
  23. lean — thin
  24. current — of water

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