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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bore — to drill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. capital — a city
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. capital — money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. press — a publisher
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. press — newspapers
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bore — to tire

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