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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. press — newspapers
  3. season — of the year
  4. shower — rain
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. press — to push
  8. mark — a grade
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pound — a weight
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mark — a trace
  16. season — in sport
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — a publisher
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. tear — from crying
  24. dip — a sauce

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