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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — a publisher
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. row — to paddle
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. press — newspapers
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. press — to push
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — a line
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. shower — rain
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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