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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.

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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: row · shower · wave · key · cell · press

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. key — the most important part
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. row — a line
  7. press — newspapers
  8. shower — rain
  9. cell — a phone
  10. press — a publisher
  11. shower — to wash
  12. key — in music
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. press — to push
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. row — a quarrel

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