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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fall — the season
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ground — the earth
  14. press — to push
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — newspapers
  20. toast — bread
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rash — a series
  24. ground — a position

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