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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fall — the season
  9. root — of a word
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fall — to drop
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — the cause
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fall — to drop
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. press — a publisher
  23. shower — rain
  24. cold — not warm

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