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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lean — to bend
  3. press — to push
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mark — a trace

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