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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — to drill
  6. field — a subject
  7. press — to push
  8. spell — letters
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. spell — a short time
  14. current — electric
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bank — for money
  17. field — for sport
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. field — farmland
  24. mouse — for a computer

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