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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — of water
  8. bore — to tire
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. swing — in golf
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. press — newspapers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. swing — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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