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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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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: key · shower · wake · ruler · wind · chest · press · racket

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — to push
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wake — a trail
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. key — in music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chest — of your body
  24. press — a publisher

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