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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — a coil
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spring — of water
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. press — to push
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spring — the season
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fine — high quality
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — a sauce

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