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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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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: rule · wake · press · toast · content · mark · shower · bank

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. shower — rain
  4. content — the amount
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. toast — bread
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bank — for money
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bank — of a river
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. press — a publisher
  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