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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. spell — letters
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — to push
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. squash — to crush
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bore — to drill
  18. band — a ring
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. spell — magic
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bear — the animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. spell — a short time

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