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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. hand — help
  3. press — newspapers
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. press — to push
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — in control
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bore — to drill
  19. charge — a price
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cabinet — ministers

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