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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bat — the animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rash — hasty
  9. spring — of water
  10. present — there
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. press — to push
  13. present — a gift
  14. spring — the season
  15. firm — steady
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rash — a series
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. firm — a company
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. firm — decided

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