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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chest — of your body
  3. press — newspapers
  4. can — to be able to
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. can — a tin
  7. chest — a box
  8. shower — rain
  9. press — to push
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. press — a publisher
  15. root — of a word
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. root — the cause
  19. key — in music
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — of a plant
  23. shower — to wash
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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