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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bank — of a river
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. mug — a face
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. press — to push
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pitch — completely
  15. last — final
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. press — a publisher
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. press — newspapers
  24. drill — army training

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