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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — rain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pop — music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. club — for dancing
  19. press — a publisher
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. club — a group
  23. pop — soda
  24. club — for golf

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