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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. kick — in football
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. swing — in golf
  7. spell — magic
  8. last — to go on
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. swing — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. press — to push
  19. last — finally
  20. press — newspapers
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fan — a supporter

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