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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: shower · deal · charge · nail · date · press · land · bank

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. charge — in control
  5. shower — rain
  6. press — newspapers
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. charge — a price
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. land — a country
  12. press — a publisher
  13. land — ground
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. land — to come down
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bank — for money
  19. shower — to wash
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. charge — electricity
  24. nail — for a hammer

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