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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — clever
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. press — to push
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. press — a publisher
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — of a river
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — for money
  20. press — newspapers
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. band — a music group
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. band — a ring

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