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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. press — to push
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pop — soda
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rest — a break
  24. nail — for a hammer

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