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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. net — after costs
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — hasty
  8. press — newspapers
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. saw — the tool
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. net — for catching
  13. bank — of a river
  14. clip — for paper
  15. squash — to crush
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. clip — to cut
  18. press — to push
  19. clip — a video
  20. net — in sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. squash — the sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — a series

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