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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — an illness
  9. drill — a practice
  10. press — a publisher
  11. drill — the tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. press — to push
  16. mug — a face
  17. suit — to fit
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mug — a cup
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chest — of your body
  22. game — a match
  23. prune — to trim
  24. drill — army training

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