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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. season — in sport
  3. snap — to click
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — to push
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. drill — the tool
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. drill — a practice
  16. capital — a city
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitch — completely
  19. press — newspapers
  20. capital — money
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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