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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — to wash
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. press — newspapers
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cap — a lid
  11. snap — to click
  12. cap — of ice
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cap — a hat
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. rush — a thrill

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