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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — a measure
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. press — a publisher
  5. club — for golf
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — to go on
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bank — of a river
  14. last — final
  15. bore — to tire
  16. last — finally
  17. club — for dancing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — to push
  22. shower — rain
  23. club — a group
  24. foot — the bottom

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