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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: wave · shower · key · craft · press · stock · hand · mug

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. shower — to wash
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mug — a face
  5. hand — help
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. press — a publisher
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. press — to push
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stock — shares
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stock — goods
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. press — newspapers
  19. key — for a lock
  20. shower — rain
  21. key — in music
  22. craft — boats
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. craft — a skill

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