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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mug — a face
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. capital — money
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — to tire
  13. capital — a city
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mug — a cup
  19. press — newspapers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. capital — a big letter

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