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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. press — to push
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. last — final
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. last — to go on
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bass — the fish
  16. press — a publisher
  17. tube — a container
  18. bass — low music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stand — to bear
  22. last — finally
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hide — to keep secret

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