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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: mate · press · stock · stand · rock · mug · drill · shower

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — rain
  3. rock — music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mate — a partner
  6. shower — to wash
  7. drill — army training
  8. stock — shares
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mate — to breed
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stock — goods
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. press — to push
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. press — newspapers
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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