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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — of the year
  11. cue — a hint
  12. land — ground
  13. cue — for pool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. season — in sport
  24. fork — to eat with

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