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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. kid — child
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mark — a trace
  6. face — to point toward
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kid — to tease
  14. face — to confront
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. press — to push

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