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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. band — a ring
  3. present — a gift
  4. hand — help
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. firm — steady
  11. kick — in football
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. firm — decided
  14. press — to push
  15. present — there
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. firm — a company
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. band — a music group
  24. present — the time now

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