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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mark — a trace
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mate — a friend
  7. press — to push
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rash — a series
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. press — newspapers

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