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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — to push
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — a short time
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. press — newspapers
  15. spring — of water
  16. snap — to click
  17. spring — the season
  18. wake — a trail
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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