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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. toast — bread
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. roll — a list
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rash — a series
  19. press — to push
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — a publisher

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