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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. press — a publisher
  7. branch — a division
  8. spell — a short time
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — there
  13. press — to push
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — a gift
  17. game — wild animals
  18. present — the time now
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. game — a match
  21. spell — letters
  22. kick — in football
  23. bank — of a river
  24. game — a kind of play

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