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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mark — a grade
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. can — a tin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bank — for money
  8. press — to push
  9. last — finally
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. snap — to click
  13. bank — of a river
  14. press — a publisher
  15. club — for golf
  16. last — to go on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. can — to be able to
  19. club — for dancing
  20. last — final
  21. mark — a trace
  22. club — a group
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. press — newspapers

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