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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. press — to push
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pit — a hole
  14. game — a match
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kid — child
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. game — wild animals
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mouse — the animal

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