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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 120 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 · nail · lean · rush · cell · press · wax · suit

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cell — in biology
  7. suit — to fit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. press — a publisher
  14. shower — rain
  15. press — to push
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wax — to grow
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rush — hurry

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