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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.

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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: kick · band · game · press · mark · lie · saw · shower

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lie — to recline
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. band — a ring
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — in football
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. game — a match
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — to push
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. saw — the tool
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. press — newspapers
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. kick — a thrill

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