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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. press — to push
  4. dip — to sink
  5. press — a publisher
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. scale — size or range
  18. board — a committee
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cell — a phone
  22. board — to get on
  23. cell — in biology
  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