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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. row — a line
  4. press — a publisher
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — to fit
  9. press — to push
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. staff — employees
  14. wind — moving air
  15. shower — rain
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. suit — in cards
  20. staff — a stick
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wind — moving air

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