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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rash — hasty
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. capital — money
  7. rash — a series
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. drill — army training
  12. mate — a partner
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — a city
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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