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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · bank · net · shower · arm · racket · bore · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bank — of a river
  14. net — after costs
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bore — to tire
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. net — for catching
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. shower — rain
  22. net — in sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. shower — to wash

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