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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. race — humankind
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. prune — to trim
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. race — a contest
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. press — newspapers
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. press — to push
  22. rock — music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bore — to drill

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