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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.

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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: tube · board · lie · dip · shower · press · net · suit

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — a publisher
  4. suit — clothes
  5. dip — to sink
  6. press — to push
  7. net — for catching
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — in cards
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. net — in sport
  15. press — newspapers
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. suit — to fit
  19. net — after costs
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. board — to get on
  24. dip — to dunk

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