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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — a grade
  6. chest — of your body
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lean — to bend
  9. kick — in football
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. current — happening now
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. press — to push
  17. chest — a box
  18. press — a publisher
  19. current — electric
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lean — thin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pit — in a race
  24. current — of water

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