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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 are growing on this ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hand — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bank — of a river
  7. press — to push
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. present — the time now
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — newspapers
  13. field — a subject
  14. hand — help
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. field — for sport
  17. present — a gift
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — there

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