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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. drill — army training
  3. hand — help
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. kick — in football
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tube — the underground
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chair — a leader
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — a container
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bank — for money

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