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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bank — for money
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fork — in a road
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bank — of a river
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. press — to push
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. file — a tool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. club — for golf
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. club — a group
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a document

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