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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. press — to push
  5. track — a path
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kick — in football
  8. cold — not warm
  9. present — the time now
  10. board — a committee
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. present — there
  15. cell — a phone
  16. track — a song
  17. present — a gift
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cold — an illness
  21. board — to get on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cell — in biology
  24. press — a publisher

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