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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. can — a tin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. degree — from a university
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — a tin
  10. chest — a box
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. degree — an amount
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. press — to push
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ruler — a monarch

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