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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.

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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 · shower · court · wind · bear · chair

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. press — a publisher
  9. court — of a king
  10. press — to push
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. court — of law
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wind — moving air
  15. court — for sport
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship

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