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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mark — a grade
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. press — a publisher
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. plane — a tool
  14. land — ground
  15. press — to push
  16. land — a country
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bore — to tire
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. land — to come down
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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