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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
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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: mine · kick · press · bore · firm · date · bowl · rash

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. firm — a company
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. firm — steady
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bore — to tire
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rash — a series
  21. firm — decided
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. kick — in football

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