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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — in cards
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bank — of a river
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hand — help
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wind — moving air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hand — part of the body

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