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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: mate · cold · press · shower · prune · date · racket · fan

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. date — the fruit
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mate — a friend
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. press — to push
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mate — to breed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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