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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · shower · bass · straw · cell · press

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. shower — rain
  3. cell — in biology
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bass — the fish
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cell — a phone
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. firm — a company
  13. press — to push
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. firm — steady
  17. bass — low music
  18. straw — dry grass

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