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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. press — a publisher
  9. object — an aim
  10. press — to push
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. object — to protest
  13. snap — to click
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rest — a break
  17. mate — to breed
  18. object — a thing
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fan — a supporter

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