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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 124 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bear — the animal
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. roll — a cake
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. roll — a list
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ball — a dance
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wound — an injury
  24. press — newspapers

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