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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. press — to push
  3. firm — steady
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cell — a phone
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. firm — decided
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rest — what's left
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cell — in biology
  21. press — newspapers
  22. firm — a company
  23. rest — a break
  24. wax — to grow

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