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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. kid — child
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mine — for digging
  13. tear — to rip
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. press — to push
  16. bank — of a river
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kid — to tease
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. press — a publisher

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