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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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Word bank
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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: wind · press · calf · craft · tube · mine · bank · stand

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. craft — boats
  7. stand — to bear
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wind — moving air
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tube — the underground
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. tube — a container
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. press — to push

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