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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. press — to push
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a grade
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cold — an illness
  13. kick — in football
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. roll — a list
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. press — a publisher
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. deal — to handle
  24. roll — on a roll

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