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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.

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: bass · bore · stick · game · bay · press · bear · spring

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spring — the season
  8. press — to push
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a match
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. game — wild animals
  17. spring — a coil
  18. press — newspapers
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bass — low music
  21. spring — of water
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — to tire

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