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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pop — soda
  3. shower — rain
  4. press — newspapers
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wake — a trail
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pop — to visit
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. track — a path
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cap — a lid
  19. track — a song
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pop — music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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