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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 116 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 · shower · bass · pop · tear · bear · fine · fan

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. shower — to wash
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. tear — to rip
  11. shower — rain
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bass — the fish
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bass — low music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — all right
  24. press — to push

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