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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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468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — a line
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. row — to paddle
  12. snap — to click
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. foot — a measure
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. press — to push
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. press — a publisher
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a quarrel

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