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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bass — low music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bass — the fish
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bat — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mouse — the animal

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