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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pop — music
  8. mug — to rob
  9. last — final
  10. stand — to bear
  11. saw — the tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. pop — to visit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — to push
  17. pop — soda
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mug — a face
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. last — finally

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