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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — a break
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. press — to push
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. press — newspapers
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fan — to cool the air

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