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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. press — a publisher
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. dip — to sink
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. firm — a company
  10. press — to push
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. shower — rain
  14. drill — army training
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. drill — the tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. firm — steady
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. land — to come down
  23. firm — decided
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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