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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. kid — to tease
  8. roll — a list
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. roll — a cake
  12. press — a publisher
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. press — to push
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. press — newspapers
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pound — a weight

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