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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a great time
  13. press — newspapers
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. press — to push

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