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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fork — in a road
  10. press — to push
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. season — in sport
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — to tire
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bore — to drill
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. shower — rain

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