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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. foot — a measure
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. drill — a practice
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spell — magic
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. spell — letters
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cell — a phone
  23. press — to push
  24. drill — army training

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