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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. shower — to wash
  3. press — a publisher
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rock — a stone
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fall — to drop
  9. net — in sport
  10. band — a music group
  11. net — after costs
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. shower — rain
  15. band — a ring
  16. game — a match
  17. net — for catching
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fall — the season
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. press — to push

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