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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: lean · pound · press · bark · shower · toast · can · chip

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. chip — for betting
  4. can — a tin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. shower — rain
  8. press — a publisher
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. press — to push
  12. bark — to shout
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. toast — bread
  16. can — to be able to
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pound — a weight
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. shower — to wash
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lean — to bend

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