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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.

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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: spell · chest · rock · rash · press · bore · firm · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. firm — a company
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chest — a box
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rash — a series
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rock — music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spell — letters
  14. rash — hasty
  15. spell — a short time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rock — a stone
  21. firm — decided
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. firm — steady
  24. spell — magic

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