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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.

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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: kick · mate · press · bank · shower · coach

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mate — a friend
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. shower — rain
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mate — a partner
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill

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