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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: shower · board · lash · rock · saw · press · fine · ball

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ball — a great time
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. rock — music
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. saw — the tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. shower — rain
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rock — a stone

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