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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. press — to push
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mate — a partner
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spring — the season
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. snap — to click
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spring — a coil

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