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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. press — a publisher
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. last — final
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. net — for catching
  8. last — to go on
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bore — to tire
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. net — after costs
  14. bore — to drill
  15. toast — bread
  16. net — in sport
  17. press — to push
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. last — finally
  21. press — newspapers
  22. shower — rain
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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