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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: ruler · fan · shower · stock · spring · press · date · wound

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stock — goods
  5. spring — of water
  6. stock — shares
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. shower — rain
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spring — the season
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wound — an injury

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