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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rash — a series
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. shower — rain
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spell — magic
  18. press — a publisher
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ground — a position
  23. press — to push
  24. spell — letters

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