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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bank — for money
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. sharp — clever
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bank — for money
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. press — a publisher
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pound — a weight

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