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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: mate · shower · press · craft · land · spell · fine · key

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. shower — rain
  3. key — in music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. press — to push
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. spell — magic
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. key — the most important part
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. press — newspapers
  17. craft — boats
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. craft — a skill
  23. shower — to wash
  24. land — ground

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