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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — for money
  4. land — to come down
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. land — ground
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. press — a publisher
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. land — a country
  17. press — to push
  18. squash — the sport
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. squash — to crush
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bank — of a river

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