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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — in a race
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. shower — rain
  7. pit — a hole
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kid — child
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. press — a publisher
  21. capital — money
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — to tease

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