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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: ball · file · press · fine · spring · shower · bowl · rule

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. press — a publisher
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. press — newspapers
  6. shower — rain
  7. file — a document
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. rule — government
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spring — the season
  16. rule — a law
  17. file — a line of people
  18. spring — of water
  19. press — to push
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. file — a tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bowl — to roll

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