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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bore — to drill
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. press — a publisher
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — to tease
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rash — a series
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rash — hasty
  24. drill — army training

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