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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. game — wild animals
  3. spell — magic
  4. present — the time now
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — in football
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cue — a hint
  12. game — a match
  13. press — newspapers
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. cue — a signal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. can — to be able to
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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