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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. press — to push
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. season — of the year
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fine — all right
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. shower — rain
  17. key — for a lock
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mug — a face
  23. shower — to wash
  24. press — a publisher

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