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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 124 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wound — an injury
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. press — to push
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — a publisher
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — in football

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