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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cold — not warm
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. can — to be able to
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cell — in biology
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. can — a tin
  20. cell — a phone
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cold — an illness
  24. dip — a sauce

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