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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. track — a song
  4. press — to push
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. club — a group
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rash — a series
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rash — hasty
  15. club — for golf
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wake — a trail
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a path

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