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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. scale — in music
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fall — to drop
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fall — to drop
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fall — the season
  13. ball — a dance
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stand — to bear
  17. press — to push
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ball — a round shape

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