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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fine — all right
  4. spring — of water
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — to wash
  8. press — to push
  9. spring — the season
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fine — high quality
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rush — hurry
  15. shower — rain
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — a thrill

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