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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. press — newspapers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — to wash
  10. press — to push
  11. sharp — clever
  12. shower — rain
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pop — music
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bore — gave birth

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