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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. band — a ring
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rash — hasty
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. band — a music group
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pitch — completely
  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