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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 are we going to ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kid — to tease
  7. land — a country
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. kid — child
  11. land — ground
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mark — a grade
  22. press — to push
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bay — a horse colour

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