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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. press — to push
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stock — goods
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. shower — rain
  12. wake — a trail
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stock — shares
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bore — to drill

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