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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bank — of a river
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. row — a line
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — a publisher
  8. row — to paddle
  9. face — to point toward
  10. last — finally
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — to confront
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bank — for money
  20. can — to be able to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. last — final
  24. wave — of the sea

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