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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: race · shower · game · bark · can · perch · plane · press

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. bark — to shout
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. plane — a tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — to be able to
  12. shower — to wash
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. shower — rain
  15. press — a publisher
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. perch — the fish
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. race — humankind
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — a contest

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