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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: lash · sharp · mug · date · board · shower · stick · press

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. board — to get on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. press — a publisher
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — to push
  17. sharp — clever
  18. shower — to wash
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. board — a committee
  21. mug — a face
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. shower — rain

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