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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. board — to get on
  3. shower — rain
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bulb — for light
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. clip — for paper
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — a series
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rash — hasty
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. snap — to click
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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