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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. foot — a measure
  3. object — to protest
  4. wind — moving air
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — an aim
  9. swing — in golf
  10. press — newspapers
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. swing — to play on
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mark — a grade
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. swing — music
  24. wind — to turn a key

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