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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — to drill
  11. press — a publisher
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wake — a trail
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. press — to push
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wake — before a funeral

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