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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. press — to push
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. press — a publisher
  6. race — humankind
  7. pit — in a race
  8. race — the arms race
  9. row — to paddle
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. charge — a price
  18. row — a line
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. charge — electricity
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. charge — in control
  23. press — newspapers
  24. race — a contest

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