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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wake — a trail
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bore — to tire
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. staff — employees
  11. press — to push
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. staff — employees
  16. cold — not warm
  17. staff — a stick
  18. press — a publisher
  19. toast — bread
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cold — the Cold War

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