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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. firm — decided
  3. press — newspapers
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — hurry
  8. shower — to wash
  9. press — to push
  10. land — to come down
  11. firm — a company
  12. land — a country
  13. date — the fruit
  14. deal — to handle
  15. land — ground
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — a publisher
  20. firm — steady
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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