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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: press · spell · board · mug · bowl · hand · shower · fall

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. hand — help
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mug — to rob
  10. shower — to wash
  11. spell — a short time
  12. press — to push
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fall — the season
  19. mug — a face
  20. spell — letters
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hand — in cards
  23. board — to get on
  24. shower — rain

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