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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. band — a music group
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. press — to push
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. band — a ring
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. band — a rubber band

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