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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: press · bowl · shower · bark · spell · nail · leaves · plane

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. shower — to wash
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spell — magic
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. shower — rain
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bowl — a dish

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