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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fall — the season
  18. suit — in cards
  19. kid — child
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. press — newspapers

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