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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bore — to tire
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. board — to get on
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — a committee
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — to visit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — soda
  23. press — newspapers
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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