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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.

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: shower · tube · mate · fine · press · ball · lash · cap

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cap — a hat
  6. tube — a container
  7. mate — a friend
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. press — to push
  15. ball — a dance
  16. shower — to wash
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — all right
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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