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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mine — for digging
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. field — a subject
  8. can — a tin
  9. rule — a law
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rule — government
  24. mine — an explosive

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