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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hand — help
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — newspapers
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. season — of the year
  8. cold — an illness
  9. hand — in cards
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — in sport
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. press — a publisher
  18. prune — to trim
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cold — not warm
  23. press — to push
  24. cold — the Cold War

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