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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — a publisher
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fall — the season
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — soda
  8. press — to push
  9. shower — rain
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pop — to visit
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pop — music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rush — hurry

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