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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. kick — in football
  4. roll — a cake
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. roll — a list
  8. press — to push
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ground — a position
  12. net — in sport
  13. file — a document
  14. ground — the earth
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. net — for catching
  21. fine — high quality
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. ground — crushed
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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