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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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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. current — of water
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — happening now
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bank — of a river
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — a publisher
  11. tear — from crying
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. squash — to crush
  15. press — to push
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. current — electric
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. perch — the fish

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