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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 116 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stock — shares
  3. rock — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rock — a stone
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stock — goods
  19. press — to push
  20. shower — rain
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. drill — army training
  24. cell — in a prison

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