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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. can — to be able to
  4. key — in music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kid — child
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — of ice
  10. press — newspapers
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cap — a hat
  14. content — the amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. press — to push
  22. kid — to tease
  23. content — happy
  24. patient — a sick person

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