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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: last · wake · tear · press · bear · chip · rule · bank

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. last — finally
  3. press — a publisher
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rule — a law
  7. last — final
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chip — to eat
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bank — of a river
  17. press — to push
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — government
  20. chip — for betting
  21. last — to go on
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bank — for money
  24. press — newspapers

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