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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pop — soda
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pop — to visit
  6. squash — to crush
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. press — to push
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. kick — in football
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rush — a thrill

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