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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · press · kick · rest · mug · craft

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. kick — in football
  3. shower — to wash
  4. craft — boats
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rest — a break
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mug — a cup

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