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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bank — for money
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. press — newspapers
  12. roll — a list
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. ground — the earth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ground — a position
  24. press — to push

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