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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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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: patient · wave · key · press · shower · club

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. shower — to wash
  4. club — a group
  5. key — in music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. press — a publisher
  8. club — for golf
  9. press — newspapers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. club — for dancing
  13. press — to push
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock

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