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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 124 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pop — to visit
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. press — newspapers
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. press — to push
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. net — for catching

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