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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. press — to push
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chest — a box
  7. can — a tin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. can — to be able to
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — army training
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — music
  22. shower — rain
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mine — for digging

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