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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 124 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. press — newspapers
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. board — a committee
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. press — a publisher
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ball — a dance
  14. board — to get on
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. row — a line
  20. kid — to tease
  21. press — to push
  22. deal — to handle
  23. row — to paddle
  24. kid — child

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