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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. kick — in football
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mate — to breed
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. field — for sport
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. drill — a practice
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mate — a friend
  21. field — farmland
  22. mate — a partner
  23. field — a subject
  24. drill — army training

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