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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. spell — letters
  5. foot — a measure
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pit — a hole
  8. spell — magic
  9. bound — tied together
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bound — obliged
  12. press — to push
  13. bound — certain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stand — to bear

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