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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · land · safe · stick · lean · press · jam · bore

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. bore — to tire
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lean — to bend
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. press — a publisher
  17. land — ground
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. press — to push
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — to come down
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bore — to drill
  24. land — a country

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