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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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 drill
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wake — a trail
  10. march — music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. march — the month
  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