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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bank — of a river
  3. row — a line
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. press — to push
  11. board — to get on
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bank — for money
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. hand — help
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to click
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. board — a committee

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