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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. press — newspapers
  3. firm — a company
  4. squash — to crush
  5. snap — to click
  6. bear — the animal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. firm — steady
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. kid — child
  13. press — to push
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — a publisher
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — the sport
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. scale — in music

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