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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.

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: press · band · shower · craft · kick · object

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. shower — to wash
  4. band — a ring
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. object — an aim
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. craft — boats
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — in football
  16. craft — a skill
  17. press — to push
  18. band — a music group

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