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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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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — for money
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. object — an aim
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. object — to protest
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. object — a thing
  17. fine — all right
  18. press — to push

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