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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 120 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.

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: stand · shower · cold · plane · bark · mug · bowl · press

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stand — to bear
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cold — an illness
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. press — to push
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. press — newspapers
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. shower — rain
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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