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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cap — a hat
  3. shower — rain
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. shower — to wash
  6. craft — boats
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. object — a thing
  16. cap — of ice
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — high quality
  19. toast — bread
  20. object — an aim
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. press — to push
  23. cap — a lid
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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