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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: net · fan · shower · bear · foot · nail · press · charge

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. foot — a measure
  8. press — to push
  9. charge — in control
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. net — after costs
  13. shower — rain
  14. bear — the animal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. charge — a price
  24. bear — to put up with

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