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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — moving air
  3. degree — from a university
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — an amount
  9. object — a thing
  10. bore — to tire
  11. degree — temperature
  12. press — to push
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bore — to drill
  21. object — to protest
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — an aim

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