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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — to tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rest — what's left
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rest — a break
  14. wound — an injury
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. tear — to rip
  19. track — a song
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wound — an injury
  22. track — to keep track
  23. plane — a tool
  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