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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ground — a position
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — to push
  14. season — in sport
  15. press — a publisher
  16. season — of the year
  17. scale — in music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fall — the season
  24. bat — the animal

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