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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — help
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. swing — in golf
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pound — a weight
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — newspapers
  15. swing — to play on
  16. content — happy
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hand — in cards
  20. content — the amount
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. swing — music
  23. press — to push
  24. chair — a leader

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