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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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. press — newspapers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rule — a law
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. rule — government
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. press — to push
  20. land — ground
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wax — in the ear

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