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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lean — thin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. craft — a skill
  7. press — newspapers
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. land — ground
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. press — to push
  13. craft — boats
  14. land — a country
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. face — to confront
  17. lean — to bend
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. shower — rain
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — to come down
  24. face — part of the head

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