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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. shower — rain
  3. drill — the tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rash — hasty
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. press — to push
  16. drill — a practice
  17. capital — a city
  18. rash — a series
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. press — a publisher
  21. capital — money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. drill — army training

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