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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. roll — a list
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fall — the season
  5. present — a gift
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. object — a thing
  11. race — humankind
  12. roll — a cake
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fall — to drop
  17. press — to push
  18. present — the time now
  19. chair — a leader
  20. object — to protest
  21. bank — for money
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — there

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