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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mug — a cup
  4. kick — in football
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. press — to push
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — child
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chair — a leader
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bulb — for light

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