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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. press — to push
  4. degree — temperature
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. kick — in football
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. press — a publisher
  20. net — after costs
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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