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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. deal — to handle
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. spring — the season
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. spring — a coil
  9. hand — help
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — of water
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. press — a publisher
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. shower — rain
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. press — to push

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