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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. game — a match
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mug — a face
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mug — to rob
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — to wash
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. press — to push
  24. hide — to keep secret

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