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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: club · shower · press · stock · mine · safe · lash · land

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. land — ground
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. shower — to wash
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. club — for golf
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. club — a group
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. shower — rain
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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