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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. press — a publisher
  3. scale — size or range
  4. game — a match
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. shower — rain
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. scale — in music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. game — wild animals
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. press — to push

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