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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mug — to rob
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. land — ground
  13. press — to push
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. land — to come down
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. land — a country
  20. rush — hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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