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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: nail · cell · stock · bank · press · bear · shower · saw

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. press — to push
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. cell — a phone
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. press — a publisher
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — shares

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