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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. press — to push
  3. snap — to click
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bore — to drill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a line
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rule — government
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — a law
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rule — to rule out

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