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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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Word bank
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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. press — to push
  22. spring — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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