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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hand — help
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. press — to push
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — a price
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fall — the season
  11. hand — in cards
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. march — the month
  20. press — newspapers
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mark — a grade

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