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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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. present — the time now
  3. rock — music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. press — to push
  7. present — there
  8. bore — to tire
  9. present — a gift
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — a stone
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chest — of your body
  24. press — a publisher

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