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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chair — a leader
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. present — a gift
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — the time now
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bore — to tire
  15. present — there
  16. press — to push
  17. bat — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bat — in an idiom

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