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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rest — what's left
  5. press — to push
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rest — a break
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spring — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mouse — for a computer

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