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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — to rip
  3. track — to keep track
  4. press — to push
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — a song
  10. net — in sport
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. net — after costs
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bass — the fish
  17. track — a path
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — newspapers
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bass — low music
  24. net — for catching

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