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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: shower · trunk · spell · scale · press · saw · date · cabinet

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. press — newspapers
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. scale — in music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. scale — size or range
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. saw — the tool
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. shower — rain
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spell — a short time
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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