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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bore — gave birth

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