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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bass — low music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. press — a publisher
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bore — to tire
  23. face — to confront
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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