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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. press — to push
  3. current — happening now
  4. spring — a coil
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. shower — rain
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. spring — of water
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — electric
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. press — a publisher
  20. key — the most important part
  21. press — newspapers
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spring — the season

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