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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spell — magic
  4. bank — for money
  5. press — a publisher
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — to come down
  9. drill — army training
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — electricity
  12. press — to push
  13. spell — letters
  14. charge — a price
  15. drill — a practice
  16. charge — in control
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. perch — the fish
  20. press — newspapers
  21. land — a country
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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