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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fork — in a road
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. firm — decided
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. press — newspapers
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. press — a publisher
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kick — in football
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. firm — a company
  21. fall — to drop
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. firm — steady

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