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

Word bank: fall · kid · nail · press · cue · ground · deal · mate

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. press — newspapers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. press — to push
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ground — the earth
  15. kid — child
  16. mate — to breed
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cue — a hint
  24. nail — on a finger

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