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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bank — for money
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. press — newspapers
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. craft — boats
  15. rock — music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. press — to push
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mine — for digging

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