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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.

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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: bass · shower · season · can · press · ruler · nail · kid

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. shower — rain
  4. season — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bass — the fish
  12. shower — to wash
  13. press — to push
  14. season — of the year
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — low music
  22. kid — to tease
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the instrument

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