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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. press — to push
  6. hand — help
  7. shower — to wash
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fine — all right
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fine — high quality
  21. hand — in cards
  22. key — in music
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wake — before a funeral

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