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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mate — a friend
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bore — to tire
  11. plane — a tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mate — to breed
  16. press — a publisher
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tear — to rip
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — of a plant

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