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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bass — low music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. land — ground
  20. rash — hasty
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — the fish

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