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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. rush — hurry
  6. board — a committee
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. press — newspapers
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. club — for golf
  20. press — a publisher
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — to get on
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. press — to push

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