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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. press — a publisher
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. object — to protest
  7. bore — to tire
  8. press — to push
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fall — the season
  18. press — newspapers
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. object — a thing
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. object — an aim
  24. mouse — the animal

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