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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 do anything ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. press — to push
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rash — a series
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — a publisher
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitcher — a jug

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