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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spring — the season
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — to push
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ball — a dance
  16. spring — of water
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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