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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bore — to drill
  6. content — happy
  7. bore — to tire
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — to push
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mug — a cup
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. march — the month
  15. press — a publisher
  16. content — the amount
  17. march — music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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