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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. charge — electricity
  3. press — to push
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. charge — a price
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spring — of water
  12. bass — low music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. press — a publisher
  15. charge — in control
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bear — the animal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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