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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. press — to push
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — a thing
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cell — in biology
  16. press — newspapers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. object — to protest
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. perch — the fish
  21. object — an aim
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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