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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. press — to push
  7. charge — in control
  8. fall — to drop
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. race — a contest
  11. toast — bread
  12. bat — the animal
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. race — humankind
  17. charge — electricity
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. snap — to click
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — a publisher
  24. charge — a price

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