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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. kid — to tease
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mate — a partner
  12. press — to push
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. press — a publisher
  18. swing — music
  19. mate — to breed
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bore — to tire
  22. plane — a tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. kid — child

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