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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. press — to push
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — of a river
  5. snap — to click
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bank — for money
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — after costs
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. press — newspapers
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. net — in sport
  22. hand — in cards
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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