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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — of a river
  5. press — to push
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tear — from crying
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — for money
  10. march — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. track — a path
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. track — to keep track
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cap — a lid
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — to drill
  23. track — a song
  24. tear — from crying

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