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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — newspapers
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rest — a break
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — decided
  9. snap — to click
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. firm — a company
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. present — there
  18. firm — steady
  19. rash — a series
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. present — the time now
  22. rash — hasty
  23. press — a publisher
  24. present — a gift

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