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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. face — to confront
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. face — part of the head
  7. press — to push
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — for golf
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. club — for dancing
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. club — a group

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