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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 120 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: content · swing · press · key · bank · charge · fall · saw

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. swing — to play on
  6. key — for a lock
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — in golf
  9. key — in music
  10. content — the amount
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. content — happy
  13. swing — music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. fall — the season
  17. charge — in control
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bank — for money
  24. fall — to drop

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