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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.

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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: present · wound · game · press · suit · bore · dip · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. press — a publisher
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bore — to drill
  9. roll — a list
  10. dip — to sink
  11. game — a match
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. roll — a cake
  15. suit — clothes
  16. present — there
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wound — an injury
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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