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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. track — a path
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. track — to keep track
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bank — for money
  10. press — to push
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. track — a song
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bank — of a river
  20. race — the arms race
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bank — for money

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