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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rash — a series
  7. wound — an injury
  8. press — a publisher
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. press — to push
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. press — newspapers

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