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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spell — magic
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. press — to push
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bound — obliged
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. fine — all right
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. can — a tin
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. press — a publisher
  18. can — a tin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. shower — rain

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