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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mug — a face
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kick — in football
  21. mug — to rob
  22. press — to push
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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