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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mark — a grade
  4. ball — a great time
  5. staff — a stick
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — employees
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — a friend
  15. tube — a container
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. bank — of a river
  24. press — to push

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