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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rule — a law
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chest — a box
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mug — to rob
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chest — of your body
  13. content — the amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — government
  16. mug — a cup
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. press — to push
  21. mate — a partner
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mug — a face
  24. bore — gave birth

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