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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. press — newspapers
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mate — to breed
  8. hand — in cards
  9. craft — boats
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mate — a partner
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hand — help
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. press — to push
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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