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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 120 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: shower · pass · board · craft · pitcher · face · press · season

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. press — a publisher
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. season — in sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. shower — to wash
  11. face — to confront
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — to push
  14. craft — boats
  15. press — newspapers
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. season — of the year

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