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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.

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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cell — in biology
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. bore — to drill
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cell — a phone
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. squash — the sport

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