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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: press · pop · lash · nail · shower · bank · firm · wake

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pop — music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — rain
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. press — to push
  17. firm — a company
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pop — soda
  22. firm — steady
  23. shower — to wash
  24. nail — on a finger

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