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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bore — to tire
  7. press — newspapers
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. press — a publisher
  17. charge — a price
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. bore — to drill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. press — to push
  24. pass — a permit

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