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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — to push
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rush — hurry
  23. press — a publisher
  24. shower — to wash

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