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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cold — an illness
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. fall — the season
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. suit — in cards
  10. press — a publisher
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ground — a position
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cold — not warm
  24. ground — crushed

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