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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: rash · ruler · temple · season · shower · press · racket · chest

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. season — of the year
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rash — a series
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chest — of your body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — newspapers
  12. shower — to wash
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. chest — a box
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. season — in sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chest — of your body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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