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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. root — of a word
  6. drill — the tool
  7. press — newspapers
  8. kick — in football
  9. shower — rain
  10. press — a publisher
  11. drill — army training
  12. root — of a plant
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lean — to bend
  16. drill — a practice
  17. root — the cause
  18. lean — thin
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. press — to push
  24. kick — a thrill

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