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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. press — a publisher
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bank — for money
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — for money
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. can — a tin
  14. press — to push
  15. can — to be able to
  16. press — newspapers
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bank — of a river
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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