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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. file — a tool
  3. march — music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — to sink
  10. file — a document
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bore — to drill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bulb — for light
  24. march — the month

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