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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cap — of ice
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. present — the time now
  10. swing — to play on
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. present — there
  14. swing — music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. present — a gift
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. press — newspapers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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