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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wake — a trail
  5. game — wild animals
  6. season — of the year
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. season — in sport
  19. chip — to eat
  20. game — a match
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chest — a box
  24. season — to add flavour

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