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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
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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: date · plane · press · club · fan · rule · cap · shower

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. press — newspapers
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. press — to push
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. club — for golf
  18. shower — rain
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cap — a lid
  21. press — a publisher
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. shower — to wash

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