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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — a publisher
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. field — for sport
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. field — farmland
  11. bank — for money
  12. board — to get on
  13. press — newspapers
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. field — a subject
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. board — a committee
  20. mine — for digging
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bank — for money

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