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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. present — there
  3. spring — of water
  4. object — to protest
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. present — the time now
  8. press — to push
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a dance
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. object — a thing
  21. present — a gift
  22. press — a publisher
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — the season

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