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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · net · hide · date · press · wave · shower · deal

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. press — to push
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. shower — rain
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. net — for catching
  24. date — on the calendar

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