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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. drill — a practice
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. swing — music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. sharp — clever
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. drill — the tool
  14. press — to push
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. swing — in golf
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. press — a publisher
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. drill — army training

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