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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · kick · press · club · drill · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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. wake — a trail
  4. club — a group
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. club — for golf
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. drill — a practice
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kick — in football
  16. drill — army training
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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