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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: rule · fine · ball · trunk · press · shower · roll · rash

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ball — a great time
  6. roll — a list
  7. fine — high quality
  8. shower — to wash
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rash — a series
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — a law
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rule — government
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. shower — rain
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. roll — a cake
  24. press — to push

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