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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — the time now
  4. bank — of a river
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. present — there
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fall — to drop
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bulb — for light
  21. present — a gift
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  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