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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bass — low music
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. press — a publisher
  7. charge — in control
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. key — in music
  10. charge — a price
  11. march — the month
  12. key — for a lock
  13. press — newspapers
  14. charge — electricity
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. press — to push
  21. march — the month
  22. bass — the fish
  23. march — music
  24. wave — with your hand

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