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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wound — an injury
  23. drill — army training
  24. cue — a hint

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