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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pit — in a race
  4. staff — employees
  5. object — to protest
  6. staff — a stick
  7. land — a country
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. object — an aim
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. bore — to drill
  13. press — newspapers
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. object — a thing
  19. staff — employees
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ruler — a monarch

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