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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bore — to tire
  5. press — to push
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — crushed
  8. craft — boats
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bound — tied together
  15. craft — a skill
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. press — newspapers

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