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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wind — moving air
  4. net — after costs
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bore — to tire
  7. net — for catching
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cap — a lid
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wind — moving air
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cap — a hat
  22. net — in sport
  23. suit — clothes
  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