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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 120 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. bore — to tire
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rock — music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. degree — temperature
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. press — to push
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. degree — from a university
  24. press — a publisher

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