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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. press — to push
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — magic
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. club — for golf
  8. wax — to grow
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. charge — a price
  11. pit — in a race
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. charge — in control
  18. club — a group
  19. content — the amount
  20. press — newspapers
  21. charge — electricity
  22. content — happy
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. spell — letters

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