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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bank — for money
  17. press — to push
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — of a river
  21. shower — rain
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mug — to rob
  24. shower — to wash

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