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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. bore — to drill
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. can — a tin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bore — gave birth

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