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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mug — to rob
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. shower — rain
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rule — government
  12. mug — a face
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cell — in biology
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rule — a law
  24. press — a publisher

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