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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pitch — completely
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — to push
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mug — to rob
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mug — a face
  16. wind — moving air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fine — all right
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wind — moving air

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