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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: game · press · shower · plane · foot · court · spell · mouse

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spell — a short time
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. spell — magic
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. spell — letters
  11. foot — a measure
  12. press — a publisher
  13. court — of a king
  14. shower — rain
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. plane — a tool
  19. press — to push
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. game — a match
  22. court — for sport
  23. shower — to wash
  24. plane — an aircraft

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