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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. kid — child
  3. press — to push
  4. kick — in football
  5. band — a ring
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — a price
  12. band — a music group
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. charge — electricity
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. press — newspapers
  21. charge — in control
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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