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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: bank · tube · dip · shower · nail · press · wake · ground

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tube — a container
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — rain
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bank — of a river
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bank — for money
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ground — the earth
  18. press — to push
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ground — a position
  21. tube — the underground
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ground — crushed

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