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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. press — a publisher
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rest — what's left
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wake — a trail
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kick — in football
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rest — a break
  24. ruler — for measuring

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