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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mate · press · staff · object · current · fork · shower

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mate — a partner
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. staff — employees
  6. mate — to breed
  7. press — to push
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fork — in a road
  10. shower — rain
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. staff — a stick
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mate — a friend
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. object — a thing

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