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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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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: ball · branch · mug · nail · last · mark · press · shower

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — to wash
  3. press — a publisher
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. shower — rain
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. last — final
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. ball — a great time
  16. last — to go on
  17. press — to push
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mark — a trace
  20. branch — a division
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. last — finally
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ball — a dance

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