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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. degree — from a university
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. press — newspapers
  12. shower — to wash
  13. craft — boats
  14. shower — rain
  15. degree — an amount
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bank — for money
  19. press — to push
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — to tire
  24. degree — temperature

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