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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. shower — to wash
  5. deal — to handle
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. press — newspapers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. press — to push
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. swing — music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. dip — to sink
  16. press — a publisher
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. swing — in golf
  24. dip — to dunk

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