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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. land — to come down
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ground — a position
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. land — a country
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cold — an illness
  12. land — ground
  13. band — a music group
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. press — to push
  20. foot — a measure
  21. band — a ring
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cold — not warm

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