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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: content · march · press · bore · squash · roll · safe · chair

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. squash — to crush
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. march — the month
  9. press — a publisher
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. press — to push
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a leader
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. march — music
  22. press — newspapers
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. safe — out of danger

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