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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. current — happening now
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — to push
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lie — to recline
  24. current — electric

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