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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pound — a weight
  13. shower — to wash
  14. press — to push
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — electric
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. current — of water
  23. degree — from a university
  24. current — happening now

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