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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. hand — help
  6. scale — in music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hand — in cards
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. scale — size or range
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — rain
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lie — to recline
  24. saw — the tool

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