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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bear — the animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. root — of a word
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. press — a publisher
  9. root — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bank — for money
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. root — the cause
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. press — to push
  23. mine — for digging
  24. drill — the tool

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