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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rest — what's left
  4. land — a country
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. land — ground
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. land — to come down
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bore — gave birth

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