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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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitcher — a jug

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