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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. spell — letters
  10. pass — a permit
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kick — in football
  15. spell — a short time
  16. press — a publisher
  17. spell — magic
  18. bore — to tire
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — to push
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bore — to drill

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