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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — of the year
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — in sport
  15. date — the fruit
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fine — high quality
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bank — for money
  20. fine — all right
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mark — a trace
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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