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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to click
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mate — a friend
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — to push
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — to breed
  17. track — a path
  18. press — a publisher
  19. track — a song
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mate — a partner
  22. kid — child
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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