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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bank — for money
  7. fall — the season
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — to push
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. drill — army training
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fall — to drop

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