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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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. land — ground
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spring — of water
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bore — to tire
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. branch — a division
  12. staff — a stick
  13. charge — a price
  14. land — to come down
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. land — a country
  17. rest — a break
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spring — the season
  21. charge — electricity
  22. staff — employees
  23. spring — a coil
  24. staff — employees

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