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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. season — in sport
  5. drill — army training
  6. game — wild animals
  7. firm — decided
  8. mate — a partner
  9. game — a match
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. press — newspapers
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mate — a friend
  23. firm — a company
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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