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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — army training
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. press — newspapers
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. drill — the tool

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