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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. press — to push
  7. bank — for money
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bank — of a river
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cell — in biology
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fan — to cool the air

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