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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bank — for money
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bank — of a river
  6. face — part of the head
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. press — newspapers
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. press — to push
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bank — for money
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cap — a hat

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