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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — the underground
  3. court — of a king
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. tube — a container
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. press — a publisher
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bank — of a river
  16. press — to push
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — to dunk

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