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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — a break
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. press — to push
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — newspapers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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