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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.

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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: spring · fine · shower · season · press · deal · bay · band

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. season — of the year
  3. spring — of water
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spring — the season
  6. fine — all right
  7. press — newspapers
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fine — high quality
  12. shower — to wash
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spring — a coil
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. shower — rain
  22. band — a ring
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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