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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: calf · rule · scale · rash · press · drill · shower · ball

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. ball — a dance
  3. press — a publisher
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — a series
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rule — government
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. scale — in music
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rash — hasty
  17. drill — a practice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. drill — army training

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