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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. press — newspapers
  11. game — a match
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mug — a face
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. press — to push
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mug — a cup
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. key — in music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. key — the most important part

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