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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chest — a box
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bank — for money
  13. press — to push
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. can — a tin
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. press — a publisher
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stem — a stem cell

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