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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chest — a box
  7. press — to push
  8. snap — to click
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. press — newspapers
  11. staff — employees
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. press — a publisher
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — a short time
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. chest — of your body
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bear — the animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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