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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cold — not warm
  7. snap — to click
  8. row — to paddle
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. row — a line
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. press — to push
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. press — a publisher

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