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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — in control
  5. firm — decided
  6. bear — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. press — to push
  15. charge — a price
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. press — newspapers
  23. squash — the sport
  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