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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. clip — a video
  5. field — farmland
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bound — tied together
  9. ground — a position
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bound — obliged
  20. field — a subject
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. clip — for paper
  24. field — for sport

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