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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rock — music
  3. last — final
  4. branch — a division
  5. last — to go on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. press — a publisher
  8. content — happy
  9. charge — electricity
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. charge — a price
  13. content — the amount
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. last — finally
  16. rock — a stone
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bore — to tire
  19. charge — in control
  20. tube — a container
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tube — the underground
  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