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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 116 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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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: shower · rest · chip · band · mug · rule · press · kick

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. chip — to eat
  3. press — to push
  4. rest — a break
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. band — a ring
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rule — a law
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rest — what's left
  21. kick — in football
  22. rule — government
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mug — a cup

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