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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. season — in sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bore — to tire
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — of the year
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lean — to bend
  13. press — to push
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. kick — in football
  18. lean — thin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kick — with a leg

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