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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. last — finally
  3. press — newspapers
  4. last — final
  5. wake — a trail
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. press — to push
  9. cap — a hat
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. last — to go on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bulb — for light
  24. degree — from a university

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