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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — to drill
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. perch — the fish
  5. face — to point toward
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. face — part of the head
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. face — to confront
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bore — to tire
  19. game — a match
  20. bank — of a river
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — a publisher
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bore — gave birth

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