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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.

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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — to push
  4. game — a match
  5. dip — to sink
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. game — wild animals
  9. staff — employees
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rule — a law
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. press — a publisher
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rule — government
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mouse — the animal

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