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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.

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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. file — a document
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. row — a line
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. press — to push
  16. rock — a stone
  17. file — a tool
  18. rock — music
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. press — a publisher
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. row — to paddle

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