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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. suit — in cards
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kid — child
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cell — in biology

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