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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wake — a trail
  12. march — the month
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. press — to push
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. march — music
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. shower — rain
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rest — a break

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