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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. snap — to click
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. press — to push
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cold — not warm
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. object — a thing
  13. game — a match
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. pop — soda
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pop — music
  21. object — to protest
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. press — newspapers

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