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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 120 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. land — to come down
  8. kick — in football
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bore — to drill
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — a country
  14. press — to push
  15. land — ground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. press — a publisher
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bat — the animal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. patient — a sick person

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