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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
468
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: pop · arm · shower · object · racket · press · mate · drill

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. drill — army training
  3. object — an aim
  4. pop — soda
  5. press — to push
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pop — music
  8. object — to protest
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. shower — to wash
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. press — a publisher
  16. drill — a practice
  17. shower — rain
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pop — to visit
  21. press — newspapers
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. drill — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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