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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chest — a box
  6. stock — goods
  7. bore — to tire
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mate — to breed
  11. press — to push
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stock — shares
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mate — a friend
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mate — a partner

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