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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. club — for golf
  9. bore — to tire
  10. press — a publisher
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wind — moving air
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wind — moving air
  15. club — a group
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. tube — the underground
  18. content — happy
  19. row — a line
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tube — a container
  22. row — to paddle
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stand — to bear

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