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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bank — for money
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. press — newspapers
  21. branch — a division
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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