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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. press — a publisher
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — low music
  18. press — to push
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pitch — completely
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. snap — to click
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wound — an injury

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