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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. object — an aim
  3. press — to push
  4. field — for sport
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bore — to tire
  7. field — a subject
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. press — newspapers
  11. season — of the year
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — farmland
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. season — in sport
  19. object — a thing
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cold — not warm
  23. press — a publisher
  24. object — to protest

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