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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rock — music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bore — to tire
  24. press — to push

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