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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bass — the fish
  3. season — in sport
  4. shower — rain
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. press — a publisher
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. press — to push
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stem — to come from
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. band — a music 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