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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. last — finally
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rock — a stone
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rock — music
  8. last — final
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. tube — a container
  13. rest — a break
  14. tube — the underground
  15. last — to go on
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. press — to push
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  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