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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 116 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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cell — in biology
  3. spell — magic
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — a publisher
  10. drill — army training
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — letters
  17. branch — a division
  18. bank — for money
  19. cell — a phone
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fan — a supporter

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