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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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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: dip · swing · race · straw · can · wind · press · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wind — moving air
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. shower — rain
  10. wind — moving air
  11. press — newspapers
  12. can — a tin
  13. swing — in golf
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. press — a publisher
  17. dip — to sink
  18. can — to be able to
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. race — humankind
  21. swing — to play on
  22. press — to push
  23. shower — to wash
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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