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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — for money
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mate — a friend
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — temperature
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fall — the season
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. press — to push
  19. degree — from a university
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. press — newspapers

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