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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chest — of your body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rock — music
  11. file — a tool
  12. can — to be able to
  13. file — a document
  14. can — a tin
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. press — a publisher
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. press — to push
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chest — a box
  24. rock — a stone

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