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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. game — a match
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bore — to drill
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lean — thin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. game — wild animals
  11. present — the time now
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — to push
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. toast — bread
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lean — to bend
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. press — newspapers

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