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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. press — a publisher
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bore — to drill
  13. land — ground
  14. press — newspapers
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. nail — for a hammer

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