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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. shower — rain
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pop — to visit
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pop — soda
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rock — music
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. hand — help
  11. cue — a signal
  12. press — to push
  13. shower — to wash
  14. tube — a container
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pop — music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. press — a publisher

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