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

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — to wash
  4. press — to push
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. shower — rain
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. perch — the fish
  11. key — for a lock
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. foot — a measure
  14. track — a path
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. track — to keep track
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — newspapers
  21. vault — a safe
  22. track — a song
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rush — hurry

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