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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mark — a trace
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. last — finally
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. press — to push
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. last — to go on
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — the earth
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. last — final
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ground — crushed
  20. branch — a division
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ground — a position

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