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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bank — for money
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. board — to get on
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. hand — help
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. press — newspapers
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fan — a supporter
  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