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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chest — a box
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chest — of your body
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bank — for money
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — for money
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pass — a permit

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