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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. spring — of water
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. present — a gift
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. row — a line
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. row — to paddle
  19. spring — the season
  20. present — the time now
  21. rock — music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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