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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — of water
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. firm — steady
  5. current — happening now
  6. press — to push
  7. firm — decided
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — a skill
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — in sport
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bank — of a river
  17. craft — boats
  18. current — electric
  19. bank — for money
  20. press — a publisher
  21. firm — a company
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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