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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cell — in biology
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — goods
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — letters
  11. date — the fruit
  12. press — newspapers
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. spell — magic
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. spell — a short time
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — shares
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bank — of a river
  23. press — to push
  24. cell — a phone

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