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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 116 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: press · shower · mine · mate · key · fork · pop · nail

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. shower — to wash
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — in music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mate — a partner
  10. press — newspapers
  11. key — for a lock
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. press — to push
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fork — in a road
  18. key — the most important part
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pop — music

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