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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.

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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. track — a song
  4. present — there
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — a gift
  7. track — a path
  8. press — a publisher
  9. present — the time now
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mark — a trace
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — part of the head
  17. press — newspapers
  18. track — to keep track
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — to push
  22. rush — hurry
  23. face — to confront
  24. mark — a grade

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