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

Word bank: file · kick · board · press · shower · deal

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. board — to get on
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. press — to push
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. press — newspapers
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. file — a tool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. shower — rain
  14. board — a committee
  15. file — a document
  16. press — a publisher
  17. file — a line of people
  18. board — a flat piece

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