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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cue — a hint
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bound — certain
  6. land — to come down
  7. tube — the underground
  8. press — to push
  9. land — ground
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bound — obliged
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. press — newspapers
  17. root — the cause
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cue — for pool
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. land — a country
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mark — a grade
  24. root — of a plant

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