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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. game — wild animals
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kid — child
  17. press — to push
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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