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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. club — for dancing
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. game — a match
  8. club — a group
  9. cell — in biology
  10. object — a thing
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. game — wild animals
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rush — hurry

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