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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. press — to push
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. field — for sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hand — help
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. board — to get on
  11. field — a subject
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bore — to drill
  16. board — a committee
  17. field — farmland
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — newspapers
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bore — to tire

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