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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bank — for money
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pitch — completely
  8. hand — help
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — part of the body

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