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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. clip — a video
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. press — a publisher
  14. clip — for paper
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. press — to push
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. press — newspapers
  22. shower — rain
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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