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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bound — certain
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — tied together
  15. object — an aim
  16. rash — a series
  17. press — to push
  18. last — to go on
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — newspapers
  22. object — a thing
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. object — to protest

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