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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. spell — magic
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pit — in a race
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bank — for money
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mine — for digging
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. spell — a short time
  22. press — to push
  23. spell — letters
  24. mine — an explosive

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