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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pound — a weight
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hand — in cards
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rest — what's left
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. press — to push
  12. hand — help
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rest — a break
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. press — newspapers
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pound — to hit hard

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