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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 124 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. spell — magic
  8. race — a contest
  9. spell — a short time
  10. race — humankind
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lean — thin
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. race — the arms race
  19. foot — a measure
  20. press — newspapers
  21. spell — letters
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lean — to bend

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