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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: hide · deal · press · mark · drill · jam · shower · season

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. press — to push
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. shower — to wash
  6. drill — the tool
  7. deal — to handle
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mark — a trace
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. press — newspapers
  13. season — of the year
  14. press — a publisher
  15. season — in sport
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. drill — army training
  19. shower — rain
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mark — a grade
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. hide — to keep secret

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