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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pit — a hole
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. chip — to eat
  11. snap — to click
  12. kick — in football
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mine — for digging

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