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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · stand · land · shower · club · press · toast · spell

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. land — a country
  4. club — for golf
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. club — a group
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. spell — magic
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bank — for money
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. toast — bread
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bank — for money
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. press — a publisher

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