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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. press — to push
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cap — of ice
  11. press — a publisher
  12. current — of water
  13. root — the cause
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bore — to tire
  16. current — happening now
  17. swing — music
  18. current — electric
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bear — the animal

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