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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. key — in music
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. present — there
  7. press — to push
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mine — for digging
  10. shower — rain
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. shower — to wash
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — newspapers
  16. key — the most important part
  17. present — the time now
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rash — a series
  23. present — a gift
  24. rash — on the skin

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