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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. press — newspapers
  3. kid — child
  4. press — a publisher
  5. last — finally
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. last — to go on
  9. spring — a coil
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. spring — of water
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. last — final
  19. press — to push
  20. shower — to wash
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. spring — the season

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