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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: pound · season · shower · hand · press · craft · mine · pass

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. season — of the year
  4. shower — rain
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. press — to push
  15. shower — to wash
  16. season — in sport
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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