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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — a hole
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — to drill
  12. press — a publisher
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. dip — to sink
  16. charge — electricity
  17. press — to push
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pit — in a race
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  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