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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: fan · shower · leaves · stem · fine · wax · press · tube

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. shower — rain
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — all right
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stem — to come from
  12. tube — a container
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. press — to push
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  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