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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. press — to push
  4. mug — a face
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. press — a publisher
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. charge — electricity
  18. face — to confront
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — letters
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stock — goods

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