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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rule — a law
  4. field — farmland
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. field — a subject
  9. club — for dancing
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rule — government
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. club — for golf
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. spell — letters
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — a group
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — magic
  24. field — for sport

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