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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bank — for money
  4. pop — soda
  5. bank — of a river
  6. press — a publisher
  7. roll — a list
  8. pop — to visit
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. roll — a cake
  12. press — to push
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rash — hasty
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. press — newspapers
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spring — the season
  20. pop — music
  21. key — in music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spring — of water
  24. bank — for money

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