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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. court — of law
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. shower — rain
  7. chest — of your body
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. press — to push
  15. rush — hurry
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. branch — a division
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. face — part of the head
  24. press — a publisher

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