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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — shares
  3. press — to push
  4. bank — of a river
  5. snap — to click
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. root — the cause
  8. bank — for money
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fork — in a road
  18. press — a publisher
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stock — goods
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. root — of a word

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