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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. press — a publisher
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rest — a break
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — of ice
  14. press — to push
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. press — newspapers
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wax — to grow

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