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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wind — moving air
  12. vault — a safe
  13. kid — child
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kid — to tease
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. press — to push

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