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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kick — in football
  4. key — in music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — a thing
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. object — to protest
  15. press — to push
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. object — an aim
  18. mug — a face

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