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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. dip — to sink
  3. squash — to crush
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. season — in sport
  7. bore — to drill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. season — of the year
  18. press — to push
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. press — a publisher
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wound — an injury

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