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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mug — to rob
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mug — a cup
  7. degree — an amount
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ball — a great time
  13. press — a publisher
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mug — a face
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wax — to grow
  22. press — to push
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hide — animal skin

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