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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bore — to drill
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hand — help
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ground — crushed
  16. object — an aim
  17. ball — a dance
  18. press — to push
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ground — a position
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mate — to breed

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