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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.

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: bowl · toast · tube · press · shower · fine · capital · safe

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. tube — the underground
  4. capital — a city
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — high quality
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. press — a publisher
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. press — newspapers
  15. shower — rain
  16. press — to push
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. capital — money
  20. fine — all right
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. tube — a container
  24. fine — a penalty

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