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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — to grow
  6. object — an aim
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cap — a hat
  12. object — a thing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cap — a lid
  17. press — to push
  18. cap — of ice
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitch — completely
  24. object — to protest

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