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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. press — newspapers
  3. current — happening now
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lean — to bend
  6. clip — to cut
  7. lean — thin
  8. key — for a lock
  9. clip — a video
  10. toast — bread
  11. key — in music
  12. roll — a list
  13. key — the most important part
  14. press — to push
  15. clip — for paper
  16. current — of water
  17. bank — for money
  18. roll — a cake
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. current — electric
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lean — to rest against

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