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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mug — to rob
  3. shower — rain
  4. kid — to tease
  5. shower — to wash
  6. press — newspapers
  7. charge — in control
  8. kick — in football
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mug — a cup
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rest — what's left
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rest — a break
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. press — to push
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mug — a face
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — boats

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