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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. spell — letters
  6. wake — a trail
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. board — a committee
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. board — to get on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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