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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. present — the time now
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. present — a gift
  10. spring — a coil
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to click
  16. present — there
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spring — the season
  19. fine — all right
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — to push
  24. spring — of water

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