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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. vault — a safe
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — a gift
  11. press — a publisher
  12. present — there
  13. press — newspapers
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. press — to push
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. present — the time now
  20. bore — to drill
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. straw — dry grass

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