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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. press — to push
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mark — a grade
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bore — to tire
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mug — a cup
  13. row — a line
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. row — to paddle
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mug — to rob
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mug — a face
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mouse — the animal

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