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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. shower — to wash
  5. press — to push
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. can — to be able to
  10. press — newspapers
  11. key — in music
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. press — a publisher
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — for digging
  21. key — for a lock
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. land — a country

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