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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 116 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. game — a match
  4. land — a country
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — to push
  13. drill — the tool
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bank — of a river
  19. land — ground
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. press — newspapers
  23. land — to come down
  24. leaves — lets stay

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