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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. dip — to sink
  4. shower — to wash
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. key — the most important part
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. key — in music
  11. press — to push
  12. bank — of a river
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — a gift
  20. land — ground
  21. shower — rain
  22. key — for a lock
  23. press — newspapers
  24. land — a country

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