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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · press · bore · lean · rock · jam · dip · present

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. press — to push
  3. dip — to sink
  4. present — the time now
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mate — a partner
  8. present — a gift
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lean — thin
  14. bore — to drill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. present — there
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rock — a stone

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