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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. drill — army training
  3. bank — for money
  4. shower — rain
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bank — of a river
  9. suit — to fit
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. suit — in cards
  12. row — a line
  13. drill — a practice
  14. press — newspapers
  15. row — to paddle
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. press — to push
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. suit — clothes
  22. shower — to wash
  23. plane — a tool
  24. row — a quarrel

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