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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. field — for sport
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mark — a trace
  8. press — newspapers
  9. field — a subject
  10. bank — for money
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. field — farmland
  23. press — to push
  24. squash — the vegetable

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