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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: nail · bore · press · temple · ball · bank · march · shower

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — to tire
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — rain
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bore — to drill
  13. press — a publisher
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ball — a dance
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. press — to push

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