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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. season — of the year
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mine — for digging
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fall — to drop
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hand — help
  16. chip — for betting
  17. squash — the sport
  18. season — in sport
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chip — to eat
  22. press — a publisher
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mine — belonging to me

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