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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. press — to push
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rule — government
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bore — to drill
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rule — a law
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mouse — the animal
  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