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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. bank — for money
  7. spell — magic
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bound — obliged
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — letters
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. press — to push
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. march — the month
  20. bound — certain
  21. spell — a short time
  22. march — music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. march — the month

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