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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kid — child
  13. spell — a short time
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. hand — help
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. hand — in cards
  22. can — a tin
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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