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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · mouse · saw · pop · chest · spell · suit · bear

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. suit — in cards
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pop — music
  10. spell — letters
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pop — soda
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — magic
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chest — a box
  24. saw — 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