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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — to tire
  5. press — to push
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rock — a stone
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ground — the earth
  10. clip — to cut
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bore — to drill
  14. face — to point toward
  15. clip — for paper
  16. face — to confront
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rock — music
  20. ground — a position
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. clip — a video
  23. bank — for money
  24. stand — to bear

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