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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fork — in a road
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. object — to protest
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. can — a tin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — to push
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. bore — to drill

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