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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rest — a break
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. press — a publisher
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — for digging
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. press — to push

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