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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. scale — in music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — newspapers
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rock — music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. spring — of water
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. spring — the season
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. press — to push
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rock — a stone
  23. press — a publisher
  24. scale — size or range

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