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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — to push
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rock — a stone
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cell — a phone

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