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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — the fish
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. game — a match
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fall — the season
  21. game — wild animals
  22. press — to push
  23. bore — to tire
  24. press — newspapers

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