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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fall — the season
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. board — a committee
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hand — in cards
  14. press — to push
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. track — a path
  18. bank — for money
  19. press — newspapers
  20. track — a song
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — to get on
  23. hand — help
  24. board — a flat piece

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