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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · press · racket · hide · fan · bank · mine · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. press — to push
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — for money
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. press — a publisher
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bear — the animal

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