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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. press — to push
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. press — a publisher
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mouse — the animal

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