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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 drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bore — to tire
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cap — a hat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. capital — money
  14. present — a gift
  15. capital — a city
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chip — to eat
  18. press — to push
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fall — the season
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. press — newspapers
  24. branch — a division

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