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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. press — a publisher
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. band — a music group
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. shower — to wash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. shower — rain
  21. band — a ring
  22. press — to push
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. press — newspapers

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