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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. degree — an amount
  10. snap — to click
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. press — a publisher
  16. degree — from a university
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. degree — temperature
  22. press — to push
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. track — to keep track

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