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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — a face
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — to push
  6. kid — to tease
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kid — child
  15. wound — an injury
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mine — for digging
  22. scale — in music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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