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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rock — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kick — in football
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hand — help
  9. rock — a stone
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — a publisher
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. press — to push

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