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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. press — to push
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pop — soda
  6. wound — an injury
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — rain
  14. pop — to visit
  15. object — an aim
  16. press — a publisher
  17. object — to protest
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fall — the season
  22. pop — music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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