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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. press — to push
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. content — happy
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — a series
  19. bat — the animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bat — for baseball

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