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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. press — to push
  10. mate — to breed
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wound — an injury
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chip — to eat
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. kick — in football

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