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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: spring · bowl · press · charge · shower · ruler · fan · kid

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. shower — to wash
  6. press — to push
  7. spring — the season
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. spring — of water
  14. kid — to tease
  15. shower — rain
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. charge — in control
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. charge — a price
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — child
  24. charge — electricity

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