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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to click
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — to drill
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. press — to push
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — what's left
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bank — of a river
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rest — a break
  22. bank — for money
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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