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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. drill — army training
  3. press — newspapers
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chip — to eat
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — a publisher
  13. spring — a coil
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bank — for money
  16. kid — child
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. key — in music
  19. press — to push
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spring — the season
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. drill — a practice

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