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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — a thing
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. suit — clothes
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. press — to push
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. object — to protest
  21. rash — a series
  22. object — an aim
  23. press — a publisher
  24. suit — in cards

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