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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a match
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bound — tied together
  9. snap — to click
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bound — obliged
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bound — certain
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — to push
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bank — for money
  24. ruler — for measuring

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