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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. wind — moving air
  2. shower — rain
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. press — to push
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bass — low music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. object — an aim
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rock — music
  14. pop — music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. object — a thing
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — soda
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. object — to protest
  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