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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: bore · kid · shower · lie · rest · object · press · bowl

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. shower — rain
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kid — child
  10. press — a publisher
  11. shower — to wash
  12. object — a thing
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. kid — to tease
  15. press — to push
  16. bore — to tire
  17. object — an aim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — to protest
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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