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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wind — moving air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bank — for money
  8. press — newspapers
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. land — to come down
  21. face — to confront
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. land — ground
  24. press — to push

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