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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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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: cue · press · lash · net · deal · face · rest · shower

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. press — newspapers
  5. face — to point toward
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. net — after costs
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. net — for catching
  14. press — to push
  15. net — in sport
  16. cue — a signal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cue — for pool
  20. face — to confront
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. shower — rain
  24. rest — what's left

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