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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ball — a dance
  5. present — a gift
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mug — a cup
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fall — to drop
  10. present — the time now
  11. mug — a face
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — the season
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — there
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mug — to rob

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