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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 116 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. press — a publisher
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. last — finally
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. club — a group
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kick — in football
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. club — for golf
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. press — to push
  18. club — for dancing
  19. last — final
  20. cold — not warm
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. dip — to sink

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