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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. press — a publisher
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. press — newspapers
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — to push
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — to recline
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bore — gave birth

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