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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: drill · object · cold · staff · press · arm · bore · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rock — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. staff — employees
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. drill — army training
  14. cold — not warm
  15. staff — employees
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bore — to drill
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. object — an aim
  20. press — a publisher
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. object — to protest
  23. press — to push
  24. staff — a stick

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