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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rock — a stone
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — newspapers
  12. deal — to handle
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. press — a publisher
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fall — the season
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fall — to drop
  22. field — farmland
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — to drop

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