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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spring — the season
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spring — a coil
  10. press — a publisher
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. drill — army training
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spring — of water
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — to bear
  24. press — to push

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