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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pop — soda
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — music
  8. shower — rain
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. snap — to click
  11. pop — to visit
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mark — a trace
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mark — a grade
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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