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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · mine · press · suit · kick · wake · wound · pit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — to push
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wake — a trail
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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