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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. press — to push
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. scale — size or range
  11. firm — a company
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. firm — steady
  15. scale — in music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. roll — a cake
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bank — for money
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. firm — decided

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